74th Annual Hunger Games
by Aaronjolras of the Barricade
Summary: Gale and Katniss, both selected as tribute. Twist on Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games. Will make NO sense if you haven't read the books. Enjoy! Keep in mind that this story has two authors. This is our first time writing a fanfiction. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This being written by two people. Just letting you know. We are accepting beta-readers.**

**Disclaimer: We do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters or events**

**Enjoy :) PLEASE R&R!**

I wake up to the sun burning in my eyes. I quickly jump out of bed, and dress, putting my last gift from my father, a golden mockingjay pin, onto my shirt. I slip out of the house, and slip under the fence to meet Gale. As I walk to our usual meeting place, I catch two rabbits and a squirrel. I carefully place them in my game bag, when a voice startles me. "Hey Catnip."

"Oh! You startled me! Hey!"

Gale grins.

"I was just running to meet you, but I saw you by the rock".

"Oh, well I'm glad you saw me, I would have had to walk the rest of the way alone."

Gale takes a sarcastic little bow. "Well, don't we always meet here? By the way, Happy Hunger Games!"

"Oh great, I forgot. Today is reaping day. Officially the worst day of the year." I sarcastically murmur,

"Kill joy."

Gale pretends not to hear me. I sit down, and start a fire. Might as well eat the smaller rabbit. We need the extra energy to stay alive during the reaping. We quickly devour the little rabbit, and move to our usual hunting spot. We check the snares. Three rabbits and four squirrels. It's barely enough to feed our families. Let's hope the people at the Hob are feeling extra nice today.

I remove my bow and arrows from their hollow log, and watch as Gale removes his knife from an empty tracker-jacker nest. We spot a doe, and I take a shot. Straight through the eye. I smile, and Gale winks. We clean our kill. We slowly gather some wild strawberries and other small plants, and our game bags slowly fill. Due to the plants, rabbits, squirrels, and the doe, our load becomes heavy. We walk slowly to the Hob, our heavy bags promising that our families would not end this day starving.

Greasy Sae takes the meat, and in return, gives us both generous portions of lamb stew. She points an old, crippled finger at a man across the room. She spoke quietly. "That man... His son was tribute last year. He'll give you anything you ask for at the lowest price available." We trade with the man, the butcher, and the mayor. We quietly walk our separate ways to our houses. As I walk inside the door to our living room, with my game bag, I see my mother doing Prim's hair in her usual braid. Prim is dressed in a pretty white blouse with a blue skirt. As I place my game bag on the kitchen table, I notice my father's old hunting jacket. I snatch it up, off the chair, and scurry upstairs to my room.

I change into my mother's blue dress, and put my hair in its signature braid. I hurry downstairs, put on my shoes, and dash out the door. As I make my way to the town square, I meet up with Gale, and we walk the rest of the way, silent. When we arrive, I go to the sixteen year old girl section, while Gale makes his way to the eighteen year old boy section. As Effie Trinket starts to speak, Gale glances in my direction. I give him a shaky smile. "Welcome, welcome, the time has come, to select one courageous young man and woman, to have the honor in representing District Twelve in the seventy-four annual Hunger Games. Ladies first!" she says cheerfully. She reaches into the glass bowl containing District Twelve's girls' names. "And our female tribute is...Primrose Everdeen!"

Without thinking about what would happen next, I yell, "I VOLUNTEER! I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!"

Effie looks confused. Why wouldn't she? The last thing she would expect from District Twelve is a girl to volunteer as tribute. Basically, it was a death sentence. She is motioning me on stage. I stand on her right and watch as she pulls a name boy's bowl. "I am proud to announce the male tribute from District Twelve: Gale Hawthorne!"

Gale walks on stage, trying to keep his face calm. I too struggle with it. A million thoughts pass through my head. Gale living. Me dying. Our families starving. This is not a good situation for either of us. Either way, we both loose our best friend, the other half of each other. I feel sick. "Hurry up, Effie. I can't breathe." I mutter under my breath. At long last, the ceremony ends, and Gale and I are shepherded into the Justice Building.

At first, no one speaks. Dead silence. Then Gale speaks up; he can no longer stand the silence.

"I wonder how our moms are handling this." He has to nudge me with his elbow to get my attention.

"Huh? What? Oh, sorry. Do you know how much our lives will change?"

Gale just nods and put his head in his hands. This was my breaking point. I've never, I mean never, seen Gale give up so easily. Gale has always been the one to encourage me to go on. It's never him that questions if living is worth it. It's never Gale that wants to stop; he's always seeing the glass half full. A tear slips down my cheek. I don't bother to wipe it away. When the Peace Keepers tried to put us into separate rooms to speak with our families, I nearly kicked them. "Gale is family." I hiss. My mother and Prim walk in. Both their faces are blotchy red, tear stains like bleach on their grimy skin. Prim speaks first. "Katniss, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have volunteered!" I pull Prim into a tight embrace. "It's beyond you now." My mother and I exchange a few tight words, and we move onto the topic of survival. "You and Prim need to make some money. Get a job in the mines if you need to. Sell Lady's milk and cheese. Find food." My mother nods shakily, and exits. After a moment, Gale's family enters. Gale speaks, but I don't hear the words. My mind has finally figured it out; how dire the situation really was. I felt the world crashing down around me. I pull myself together and shakily stand. Gale and I are quickly ushered onto the train.

**Sorry it is so short the next ones are longer.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is a bit short. So sorry! **

**Please review!**

**Chapter 2**

Long after dead silence engulfs us, I speak up. The quietness is killing me.

"Gale," I take a few deep breaths before continuing, "If- if I die, I want you to win. For both of us." That's all I could say. I had a big lump in my throat. All of this was too much to take in for a sixteen year-old girl. Everything was happening much too quickly.

All he does in response is kiss me on the forehead, and pull me in his arms, and whispers, "Catnip, we can't let these Games change us." By those few words, I knew nothing would ever be the same again. If we both die, our families will struggle to survive. Especially Gales' family. With four other mouths to feed other than himself, it's got to be a whole lot of work. I have tried to appreciate that I only had three to feed, but it's hard when you fall asleep with an empty stomach. Only one person lives out of the twenty-four of the tributes of the Hunger Games, and it won't be me. If Gale survives, he might be able to keep both of our families from starving to death. That's all that matters. My mission is to keep Gale alive, even if it means risking my own. After about two minutes, we release our tight hug, and without a word, I lay my head on Gale's lap. He strokes my hair, whispering the words to a song from my past, until I fall into a comfortable, deep sleep.

In the middle of the night, a strange noise wakes me. I slide out of bed, not wondering how I got there, and put on my robe and slippers. I walk down the hall, stopping at the source of the noise. It's coming from Gale's room. I knock on the door, and it opens a crack. Gale's back is up against a wall, head in his hands. Sweat is dripping of his hair; his shirt is soaked. My eyes travel up the wall. There are large cracks, Gale's knuckles are red.

"Gale". He looks up at me, and then looks away. I go sit by him.

"Gale?" I wait for a response, but he just looks at me, "We try our hardest to keep each other alive, become allies?"

"Well, that's a good idea, but what happens when just the two of us are left?" It's a good question, but I have no clue in how to answer.

"I could kill myself." The only response I could think of.

"What? No! I won't let you!"

"Yes, you will! You can take care of our families, with all of your wealth, you could do it!"

"I still won't let you, but promise me, that's the last thing I want you to be doing. If anything, I'd kill myself first."

I sigh. "Let's stop this stupid argument, and go to sleep. We obviously are not going to let each other die. Goodnight."

"Wait, Katniss!" He wrapped his arms around me, embracing me with his warmth.

"I love you."


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is longer. We hope you enjoy; please review.**

**Without further ado,**

**Chapter 3**

I intertwine my fingers in his. He's breathing heavily. I lean over to him and whisper, "I love you too."

When I return to my room, I slide right into my bed, thinking about Gale, the Games, and everything else that happened to me today. With Gale on my mind, I fall into a deep sleep. In the morning, Effie comes into my room, awaking me from my dreams. "Today is going to be a big, big, big, day!"

"Give me a minute." I say, trying to concentrate on my dream. Yet, the more I concentrate, more of the dream slips out of my mind. Effie leaves my room, and I shower and dress. I leave my room and quietly walk into the dining room. I take the seat farthest from Haymitch, our mentor. He's gives me the creeps. With long, greasy hair; wild, crazy eyes; and the fact that I can smell alcohol on his breath from across the room, I think he'd give anyone the creeps. I take a seat. We wait for Effie and Gale before we start talking. Again, as usual, dead silence fills the air. Finally, after about ten minutes, they walk into the dining room. Gale takes a seat next to me, and I hold his hand. Effie sits across from Haymitch. We begin our meal by Effie telling us our agenda for the day.

I pick up a piece of fruit and turn my attention to Effie. "Basically what we're going to do today is watch the video from the other districts' reaping's. After that-" Haymitch stood up, interrupting Effie's little speech, and pointed at us. He spoke, "You...You kids. What're your names?" His words were slurred. I said, "Katniss Everdeen." Gale stood, as if challenging Haymitch. He said, "Gale Michael Hawthorne. And what might yours be?" Haymitch seemed to struggle with the question, and I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from laughing. "Haymitch… Abernathy…" He looked at me as if I would confirm it. I nodded. "Yes," he said, "Haymitch Abernathy." Gale sits down, point taken, and winks at me. I smirk. As we finish breakfast, Effie is going on about sponsors and our stylists and the how the Capitol loves the look we're pulling off. In other words, she's telling us the things that Haymitch should be.

The four of us leave the dining area and walk into a dark compartment. Gale and I sit side by side on a small couch, Haymitch leaning against the wall, Effie sitting in a small chair to my right. A screen blares to life, and the Capitol anthem plays. We watch, in order, the reapings of all twelve districts. I notice the burly looking pairs from One and Two. The girl with a crazy look in her eyes from Seven. The twins from Nine. We skip the one from home. Gale and I refused. That horrible thing that got us into this mess, could not, and would not ever be played over again, in our lives. It was too painful. We leave the compartment.

I grab Gale's wrist, and turn to face him. I say, "If we want to win this thing, we need Haymitch to do it. If he stays like this, we have zero chance of getting any gifts from sponsors. We can't let it be his fault if we die in the Games." Gale nods in agreement. We find Haymitch in the dining cabin, a glass of wine in hand. "Haymitch" I say, "Any advice?"

"On what? Oh, you must mean the Games! Here's a real important piece of advice: stay alive." Wow, that could not have been any more obvious. "Find water. That is the most vital thing." He was shaking a finger at us. "You can always hunt for food later on." A bit wiser, but he's still stating the obvious. You can tell that there is no real focus behind it. I want something with some real thought behind it. Back home, I would have called it his drunken words of wisdom. But not now. Not when we really need it. As our mentor, he survived the Games, and some real advice from him would be helpful.

"Uh….Thanks… When do we go into training?" asks Gale.

"Ask Effie." I could tell he did not want to talk to us any longer.

"Hey, Effie?" Gale asks, "When do we start our training?"

"In about three days." She replies.

"Okay." Gale says.

He returns his attention to our drunken mentor. He sits down, facing Haymitch. Time to get down to business. "Haymitch? Katniss and I stand a chance. We need you to hold off on drinking until the Games are over. Once we're in the arena, you're our last chance. We need you to be focused." Haymitch merely waves his hand as if he were dismissing the idea. Gale stood, and I followed suit. "On three," he whispered. "One, two, THREE!"

Gale tackled Haymitch, chair and wineglass in all, to the floor, and pinned him to the ground. I grabbed a shard of broken glass from the floor, and kneeled on Haymitch's chest, holding the small shard under his neck. He cursed at us, and in response, we laughed. I spoke, "We stand a chance. Apparently, you needed to see it for yourself. Pull yourself together, drop the drinking, and you won't find yourself here ever again." Gale released his arms, and I got off his chest. Haymitch staggered to a standing position. I saw hate in his eyes, but he nodded his head. He stalked away, muttering foul things under his breath. Oh well. We'll settle the details later.

Gale and I spent the time until dinner talking about our strategies. Effie peeks into our room, reminding us that dinner is a few minutes away. We get up and walk into the dining room. I'm glad to see that Haymitch isn't here. I spoke too soon. Haymitch waltzed into the room, a manic glint in his eye. I whisper to Gale, "He wants revenge… be careful." He responds, his words barely audible, "I know. He's getting even. Let him." At first, I'm surprised, but soon understand. It's the only way to get him to cooperate with us. I sigh. It's going to be a long night.

Dinner starts with a light garden salad. Gale and I make small talk, while Effie is talking to Haymitch. I take note that he's drinking water. So maybe he did take us seriously, I think. I point this out to Gale, who merely winks in reply. Of course. Haymitch is still trying to get even, put our unspoken part of the deal into play. I put my hand on the table, and Gale takes it. Gale understands what I'm trying to say. We're going to embarrass ourselves with our love. As the main course begins, Haymitch still hasn't touched any drink that's not water. He's keeping to our agreement. It doesn't stop him from pointing out that my hand was intertwined with Gale's; or cooing at us whenever we look at each other. I excuse myself as a Capitol server sets desert on the table. I go to my room, lie in bed, and fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The train lurches to a stop. We made it to our final destination; the Capitol of Panem. Effie leads us into a large building, where Gale and I are separated and engulfed by our prep teams. My prep team takes me to my dressing room, and they introduce themselves.

"I'm Octavia, I'll be doing waxing and your eyebrows."

"I'm Flavius, I'm doing your hair"

"I'm Venia, I'll be doing your nails."

"And I'm Katniss. Katniss Everdeen; I volunteered for my sister." It sounds obvious as I say it. I sit down on the chair, so they could get to work. Might as well get it over with. When Octavia was working on my eyebrows, I was ready to burst into tears. I could feel each and every hair being tugged out of my skin. I wanted to scream! They kept blabbing on and on about their lives, which I honestly don't care about. Right after Octavia was done, I thought it couldn't get any worse.

But, yet again, I thought wrong. When Flavius was doing my hair, he filled up the bathtub with water, grabbed my head, and without any warning, dunked my head in the water. Then, he tugged my head out of the water, and shampooed it. His sharp nails were rubbing viciously against my scalp. This time I actually did scream. I was sure that Gale could hear it from two rooms away. Again, without any notice, Flavius dunks my head into the water, and scrubbing even harder. It hurt so much, eventually I was screaming underwater. Flavius was finally done cleaning my hair, but I was too relieved to notice the curler, the brush, and the other hair supplies sitting next to him. The tugging didn't stop, not even for a second. Finally, after what felt about an hour of tugging, Flavius was done with my hair. At last, only one prep team member to go. Luckily, and hopefully, doing nails does not hurt.

When Venia calls me into the other room, I quietly walk in there, and sit in a chair. When she pulls my hand on the table, I jerk it a little. She speaks, "It won't hurt, trust me. There is not any tugging or pulling." I nod in agreement. I doze off, thinking about how Gale is doing. I have not heard him scream, not even once. I begin to calm down. Venia is massaging my hands, and it feels amazing. Then, she pinches my fingers, and I begin to squirm a little. She cuts, and files, and then she begins to paint. "Nothing exiting, just a glossy coat to keep the nails from chipping and breaking." She said, "I want to save everything exciting for the interviews, and the Games." Finally, all done with prep team stuff, for now.

The prep team left, probably to find my stylist. I leaned up against a wall, and watched as a man, dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans. The only trace of makeup was the gold eyeliner traced on his eyelids. He walked over to me, and stuck out his hand. "I'm Cinna, I'm your stylist." I shook his hand, immediately liking him. He pulled out my 'outfit' for the chariot. It was a simple black turtleneck and black pants. I started to question his sanity. A black getup won't get you anywhere. Cinna spoke again, vanishing my doubts, "I know it seems simple. There aren't many different ways to represent coal." He handed me a black cape and set a headdress on top of my head. "And what does coal do? Burn. We're going to set you on fire." Sensing my surprise and fear, he continued, "It's artificial fire, it's harmless. But we need to go. The chariots leave soon."

We walk silently through the hall and into the bottom floor of the Training Center, where all twelve chariots are waiting to be put into action. I climb into the last one, a black one engraved with a bronze 12. Gale soon joins me. He is dressed in the same black outfit as me. Cinna walks away. Gale takes my hand, and I hold it like a lifeline. Cinna returns with a glaring torch. He tells us not to worry, that the fire is perfectly harmless. I still have my doubts. He lights my cape and my head, and does the same to Gale. Cinna was right, it didn't burn. It tickled. Still clutching Gale's hand, our chariot is released into the dark streets of the Capitol.

Screams and shouts reach my ears the second the Gale and I are given a view of the Capitol. Once the citizens notice Gale and me, the screaming and shouting only gets louder. I glance at Gale. He's smiling good-naturedly, waving at the crowd with his free hand. I close my eyes, and think of Prim. I smile, looking out at the crowd. I flutter my eyelashes, and blow a kiss to the crowd. They scream, pretending to catch it, receiving at least fifty kisses in return. Where am I getting this? What's wrong with me? I wave to the crowd. I keep up the act.

After what seems like and eon of waving, blowing kisses, and smiling, we are in the circle in front of the the president's house. President Snow, his face on a giant TV screen, starts talking. I don't catch a word of it, the crowd is so noisy. Not that I wanted to hear him. One by one, the chariots are given a moment in the spotlight, then are ushered back into the building. The spotlight's on us. Gale puts his hand around my waist, the other around my shoulders. He's leaning over me, dipping me down. I couldn't tell you if it was real or not, but I swear that sparks flew from our lips as the touched.

**END OF CH. 4**


	5. Chapter 5

**We are so sorry this took so long! Will you guys take a short explaination? Well, here it is: Chapter 1-3 were done when we posted them. Chapter 4 was almost done. So Chapter 5 was something we had to start from the beginning. We also had some communication issues and suffered serious cases of writer's block. This is also our longest chapter by far. Read & Review.**

**At long last, Chapter 5!**

BAM! As sudden as the kiss, we find ourselves inside the Training Center, giant doors closed behind us. I can hear the wolf-whistling and the screams and shouts through the door. I can feel my cheeks flush. I look at Gale, surprised by his actions, proud of his nerve, and something else that I've never before known. Love.

I find myself standing once more, and take both of Gale's hands in my own. He looks down at me, grey eyes twinkling, his mischievous grin sneaking back onto his handsome face. He's back. This is the Gale I've been missing.

"Gale…" My mouth isn't working. "That was amaz-"

The prep team runs up to us, jumping and crying and smiling and laughing all at once. They all are yelling compliments, their words slurred together so that not even the Capitol's best machines could translate what they were saying. The stylists come up behind them. Cinna; as solemn and as calm as ever, Portia; wearing a genuine smile, black bangs hiding her dark brown eyes, Haymitch; sober and silent. Gale releases my hands and jumps off the chariot. When he lands, he extends his arm out to me, and I playfully push it away, jumping down and smiling. Cinna removes my cape and headdress, and sprays some sort of mist onto it, extinguishing the flames. He does the same with Gale. Effie, last to arrive, takes my wrist in a tight hold, her sharp nails piercing my skin, and leads me to a long black car. I think it's called a limousine. Gale and Haymitch follow behind us. We all pile into the car, and without a sound, the car starts and we are off to the Training Center.

I'm sitting next to Gale, and Haymitch and Effie are sitting across from us. Haymitch, surprise surprise, is holding a bottle of whisky.

"Haymitch, I thought you were dropping the drinks." I say.

"I'm celebrating your great performance, sweetheart." His gruff reply. I roll my eyes.

"So, when is the training exactly going to start?" Gale questioned.

"Not till tomorrow." Effie replied.

Gale and I sit next to each other, hand in hand. I was thinking about earlier today. I'm sure he was thinking about it too, we were both completely silent. Haymitch was quiet, too. As my mind begins to figure things out, Effie interrupts, talking in a morbid voice, "I'm really going to miss you guys. You did great out there." Excuse me? Did she just say what I thought she said? I'm just about ready to punch Effie. I'd say some foul things, but my mouth won't work. She knows just as well as I do that only one of us will make it out, if one of us makes it out at all. Why does she have to point it out? Yet, I never really took the time to realize how much I really would miss Effie. She has helped me a lot.

"I will miss you, too." Gale nods in glum agreement. We halt, our car coming to a stop. Gale steps out of the limo. As he reaches his hand out to me, I grab it, and he helps me get out of the car. When we walk inside and go to the elevator, I punch the number 12, and we start to rise. When we finally reach the 12th floor, Gale squeezes my hand and he gracefully walks me to my room. "Good night," I tiredly say.

"Good night, Catnip." I give him a hug, and stand on my tiptoes, and kiss him on the cheek. He pulls me into a tight embrace and kisses my forehead. We release each other after a peaceful moment, and I walk into my room as Gale walks into his. I hear his door shut behind me. I go into the bathroom and wash off the makeup, take off the dress and shoes, and hop in the shower. I spend at least a half hour pressing, and testing out all of the buttons. A neon orange shampoo squirts out of a place unknown. Purple, violet smelling bubbles burst all over my body, leaving a tingling feeling behind. I try to turn off the water, but instead get shot with a bright yellow foam. I spend a good ten minutes at least trying to scrub it off. I jump out of the shower, and pull on nice, warm, fleece pajamas, not caring whether or not the water was running. I hop into bed, wondering how much more crazy the day could have been. We start training tomorrow, and I hardly have time to wonder how crazy that will be before sleepiness knocks me out.

I wake when Effie's shrill voice calls out, "It's going to be a big, big day!" I groan and slide out of bed. Pulling on a robe and slippers, I walk into the dining area, where a large window gives us a huge view of the sunrise. More like blinding me with my still sleepy eyes. I sit, and Gale comes in, yawning. "Mornin' Catnip," he says through yet another yawn.

"Good morning to you too." When he gets close enough, I pull him into the chair next to me. A Capitol server, an Avox, brings us a platter filled with toast, marmalade, fruit, and something that Effie calls a 'pancake'. I fill my plate with these fluffy golden circles and pour some maple syrup on top. I take a bite, and think that these pancake things were the best thing I have ever tasted. Even if we had these things in District 12, we would have never been able to afford them. I finish my first plate, and don't hesitate to take seconds and thirds. Gale, being the food-loving person he is, ends up taking about six helpings before leaning back in his chair and stretching. Effie, who was watching us eat the entire time, tells us to get dressed and get come back to the kitchen as soon as possible.

"Race you there and back!" I challenge. Gale grins mischievously, and takes off. I follow, darting through the hallway as fast as I dare, and jump to a stop when I enter my room. I quickly pull on a green shirt (it was on the top) and a pair of black pants. I pull on mismatching socks, not really caring, and slide into a pair of boots, lacing them up in no time. I quietly sneak down the hallway, not wanting to let Gale know I'm finished, and stroll into the kitchen. I sit at the table we previously occupied, and kick my feet up onto the table. I quickly re-braid my hair, and watch as Gale comes racing in. I take note he's wearing the same thing as I am.

"What took you so long?"

"How long have you been here?"

"Only a moment. Answer my question!"

Gale merely smiles. I may never know. In fact, I probably won't, unless he tells me now or in that wretched arena we're being sent to_. Stupid Capitol. Just ruin my life, it's not like I have dreams or family or friends that I care about._ Gale sits next to me and puts his feet up as well. We sit in silence until we hear Effie coming, her seven inch heels giving away her exact location, and put our feet down. Haymitch comes in behind her. Before Effie can bring us down to the Training Center, Haymitch sits down.

"You two," he begins, "have certain skills. I can tell." He looks like he's remembering the incident on the train. I look away. "Care to enlighten me on what those talents might be?"

For once, I speak first. "I'm an archer. I'm a decent throw, and know a bit on snares. I can hunt."

Gale speaks next. "I'm good with snares. I can shoot a bow, can throw knives. Katniss and I know each other's skills." In hardly a whisper, he says, "Providing we taught each other." Haymitch hears this and chuckles.

"What's so funny? We're a team; always have been, always will be. We've been allies since the day we got reaped." I hope this doesn't sound too corny. Instead, Haymitch gives me a questioning look, then a faint smile crosses his lips. "As you both have experience in the archery and snare fields, I'm telling you to stay away. Stick together. Not like I need to tell you that. But seriously, try some things that you need to learn to survive that you don't already know. Now go, before Effie has a heart attack." He stands and motions for us to do the same. The moment we stand, Effie takes our wrists in her piercing grip, and half walks half drags us to the elevator. She hurriedly jabs the down button until the door opens, then hits the button that will take us to the first level of the Training Center. My stomach does a flip when the elevator lurches to a stop. Instinctively, I take Gale's hand.

We walk into a room, filled with so many different stations that it makes me blink, to make sure I'm really here; that this isn't a dream. More like a horrible nightmare. Gale and I break free from Effie, and walk around the room, looking at different training areas. We stop at a station that has a large selection of deadly looking spears and long, sharp knives. The instructor shows us how to position my hand correctly on the shaft of a wooden spear, and throw it evenly. I spear a dummy in the head, aiming for its heart. Gale's spear makes its intended destination, the neck of a fake wolf. We move on to hand-to-hand combat. I excel at this, ducking out of the reach of the instructor's fake knife, then swerve to hold my own fake weapon at his heart, prepared to perform a fetal blow. When he pairs me with Gale, I roll behind him, holding my fake knife at his neck. He turns around and kisses my forehead. I take his hand again and we move onto a table that gives us instructions on how to make weapons out of twigs and stones. Gale's hands guide me through the process, touching my hands and wrists, their warmth relaxing my hands.

Soon enough, it's lunch, and we are sitting in a cafeteria, plates filled with food from carts placed around the room. Gale and I, the ultimate duo and couple, are sitting across from each other. It's so natural now for me to hold his hand, at first I don't realize why the Career pack was sniggering at us like a bunch of fools. I mention this to Gale and he laughs and says, "They want romance? Let's give it to them, then." Then, smiling, he leans over the table, and presses his soft lips against mine. This time, I know that I'm kissing him back.

We pull away, both dazed by the kiss. No longer hungry, I stand, smiling, and leave the cafeteria. I hear Gale's soft footsteps behind me. I can feel that everyone in the room is staring at my back. I wait for Gale to fall in step with me before taking his hand. I sneak a glance at his face and see that he's smiling, wearing the same goofy grin I am. We go back to the training room, and since we're the only two there, I pick up a bow and a sheath of arrows and shoot a few targets. I pull the arrows out of the bull's eye zones I had hit, and out of the dummy I had got through the heart with my eyes closed. As the pair of tributes from One enter, my bow is gone, and I am at Gale's station. Knots. The instructor there shows us how to tie the sturdy, firm knots that will hold my weight and more, to fake knots that break the moment that a feather is laid upon them. She explains that these are good knots for tricking opponents into trusting you, just to have the knots break when they are in danger. We move on.

Before dusk, Gale and I have learned how to light fires with two rocks and a damp log, be able to define animals that are poisonous versus those that are edible, are able to kill someone by hitting a certain pressure point, make natural medicines for burns and stings, and simple, yet affective self-defense techniques, in addition to what we learned earlier today. Exhausted, Gale and I retire to the twelfth floor of the building.

The ride up the elevator is one of silence. As the doors silently open, I head off to my room, in the hope of taking a normal shower. I am halfway successful. I manage to turn the water on without scalding myself in the process. I manage to hit the right button for shampoo, and somehow my hands find a normal bar of soap. But by the time I get out of that shower, I smell like vanilla and honey, and my hair is unnaturally curled, even though it's wet. I braid it back and get dressed. I walk lazily into the kitchen for dinner.

For our main course, we are having beef steak, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables. Our appetizer is a light garden salad, and vegetable soup. For once, Haymitch turns down a glass of wine that was offered to him, and takes a soda instead. Effie wants to know about every little thing we did today. It was seriously getting on my nerves. Can't we just eat our food in peace? Unable to take it anymore, Gale and I give a minute by minute replay of our day in the Training Center, from learning how to throw a spear, our little dramatic ordeal in the cafeteria, and finally to the self-defense we learned within that last hour. Effie talks endlessly about her day, the things she did; she sounds like my prep team. Haymitch, apparently thinking along the same lines as I was, changed the subject to a more bearable topic. Our server brought in dessert, a sundae and gooey chocolate cake. I excuse myself, and walk to my room. I change into pajamas, and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

I dream of the endless ways I could die in the arena. I wake up, my sheets twisted around me, sweat dripping off me like a faucet. I go into the bathroom and splash my face with cold water. I smooth out the covers of my bed, and sit on the end of it. My thoughts drift; and I must have fallen asleep. For when I come to my senses, sunlight is streaming through the window, and Effie is knocking on the door. I shower again, this time only washing myself with a bar of unscented soap, and pull on a grey tee-shirt and jeans. I walk into the kitchen, and sit next to Gale. I guess he can see the bags under my eyes because he says, "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty, when did you fall asleep last night?"

"Nightmares kept me up half of the night." I say through a yawn. I notice the bags under his eyes, too "And when did you fall asleep, Prince Charming?"

"Uhh, it sounds like we suffered the same fate." He chuckles, and runs his fingers through his hair uneasily. "Ready for another day of training?"

"No way. Not without breakfast, anyways." I get up and grab a plate and fill it with eggs benedict and a few different types of fruit. I pour myself some orange juice and sit down. Gale follows suit, but comes back with a plate loaded with bacon and eggs and hash browns. We eat in silence until Haymitch walks in, looking as if he really wanted to be asleep. I'm guessing Effie woke him up.

Haymitch grabs an apple, kicks his feet up on the table, and groans. We all turn to Effie, who has just entered the room; her face in disgust. She screams, gritting her teeth, "Haymitch Abernathy! Get your feet of the table this instant!"

"What are you, my mother?" Haymitch rolls his eyes, Effie scowls, and stomps to the chair, and plops down, muttering darkly to herself about manners. I can't help but grin. In the same position as before, Haymitch asks us what we are going to be doing today in training. I shrug, and look at Gale.

"Probably the same routine as yesterday. They were pretty useful." I nod in reply.

"You guys have to learn something new. Other than what you did yesterday. Understand?" Haymitch grumbles. We both nod in agreement. Haymitch noisily starts to eat his apple, causing Effie to take deep breathes, and eventually leave the room. After about a minute after she's gone, the three of us that remain burst out laughing. Suddenly, Effie stomps back into the room, and grabs her hand bag that she left on the chair, and storms out of the room for the second time. After another peal of laughter, Haymitch (who is suddenly responsible) tells us to get moving and go start training. We get up and leave, and make our way to the elevator. The door opens and we step into the training center.

We seem to be the last ones to arrive, again. Gale and I cover about half the stations we missed yesterday before we take a break for lunch. No one stares at Gale and me this time. We eat while talking about our different strategies. We are the first to finish lunch, so we head back to the training room. By the time we are dismissed, we have been to every training area except for the snares and archery tables. The ride up the elevator is quick. I shower, yet again, taking my chances with the buttons. It worked out well. I came out smelling like a normal person should. I dress in a simple tee-shirt and pants, and walk to the kitchen.

Once there, I braid my wet hair down my back, and lean up against a wall. Gale is sitting at the table, his eyes glazed over; he's thinking hard. Effie, still upset with us, sits daintily on the edge of her seat, talking quietly into a phone. Haymitch is eyeing a bottle of white liquor hungrily. While we wait for our food, we talk about training. Haymitch adds in a few things about what his training was like. At long last, the food comes, and we eat. In the middle of dinner, Effie says, "So, what are you two going to do in your private sessions with the Gamemakers?"

"Archery." I don't even have to think about it. Gale, on the other hand, takes a bit more time to reply.

"Spear some stuff. Set a few snares. Shoot an arrow or two, maybe."

Haymitch nods, approving it, I guess. Effie doesn't respond. We finish the meal in silence.

I excuse myself, and walk to my room. I pull on the pajamas I wore last night, and hop into bed, literally hop into bed. Within 5 minutes, I fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

When I wake up from my long night sleep, I feel blessed that nightmares hadn't cursed my sleep. I slip on my slippers and robe, and walk down the long corridor to the dining room for breakfast. No one is there yet, so I take an apple and sit down, resting my head on the back of the chair. It isn't long before Gale walks in. Effie follows. Haymitch walks in sleepily five minutes later.

"Good morning, guys." I say through a yawn. Haymitch nods a hello. Gale takes a seat next to me, and takes my hand. Effie and Haymitch sit next to each other; across from us.

"Good mornin' to you, too, Catnip!" Gale replies loudly. I admire his enthusiasm, although I have no idea where it came from. I look at him, smiling, and lay my head on his shoulder. After a moment of silence, I get up and fill a plate with food. I sit back down at the table watching the other residents of the twelfth floor get their breakfasts. After everyone has sat back down, I start eating. Effie goes through the day's agenda.

"After your private sessions with the Gamemakers, we will start training you for your interviews, which will take place at eight o'clock. You will meet with Haymitch, your stylists, and me before the interviews take place." She notices that we are finished eating. "And please hurry up and get dressed, I don't want to be the last to arrive this time." Following our uptight escort's instructions, we go to our rooms and get dressed. I pull on a brown shirt and black pants, and the same boots I've been wearing lately. I walk back to the kitchen. Is this our meeting place or something?

Gale beat me here. Leaning up against a wall, his face is closed and composed, his eyes glazed over; deep in thought, I'm guessing. For the first time, perhaps, I admire his beauty. His tussled, brownish black hair was falling just above his clear, gray eyes. His nose is straight, his lips pink and full. His back is turned to the sun, casting him in shadow. He's thin (from years of starvation, he's got broad shoulders) but strong; physically and mentally. He jerks, his thoughts returning to his surroundings. I laugh and he narrows his eyes at me, being mock angry with me. I roll my eyes and stand next to him. Effie, never letting us rest in daylight, rushes us to elevator. Before Effie can push us into the elevator, I see Haymitch wink at us. Good luck, he mouths. Effie shoves us into the elevator, and we are once more descending to the ground level of the Training Center.

Once we are there, we are ushered to the cafeteria. We sit and wait for our turns. I quietly braid my hair, not getting a chance to do so until now. I stare blankly at the wall; I have nothing else to do. Gale's face is solemn and silent, eyes fixed on a point somewhere above my head. What has he been thinking about? Training is my guess. Apparently, there's more to it than that, because he says:

"This is it. This is… the end." His voice doesn't waver. "Today might be the last day we get to be ourselves; plainly you and me."

He's at a loss for words, I can tell. I nod, understanding what he's saying. All this time, he's been trying to accept that it's the end for him, for me, either way. Death in literal terms, in the arena, or death of spirit. Both of us speechless, I take his hand, and lay my head on his shoulder. We sit in silence once more, thinking about our training sessions. I have a faint idea of what I'll be doing. A mere outline. Something new dawns on me. With us last, the judges will hardly be paying us attention. That certainly means lower scores… Which means fewer sponsors. I don't want to entertain that notion. With his odd ways of sensing my thoughts, Gale speaks once more.

"What are your plans for the Gamemakers?"

"Don't much have one," I honestly reply. "And what have you got in store?"

"A little bit of everything….. You wouldn't mind testing it out for me, would you?"

"That isn't the answer to my question. Wait, what are you doing?"

"You'll see. The Gamemakers… supposing that they won't pay me any attention, I'll set some… obstacles up. Put my name on stuff. Then you come in. Shoot an arrow; get them to look at you. The rest will come to you."

"This better work."

"You bet it will."

Gale is called into his session. I am alone in the room, left to stare at the walls and think. I end up pacing, and I stamp my foot in frustration. Patience is not my strong suit.

After about twenty minutes, I am called in. I glance around the room, and see no traces of Gale's 'obstacles'. He did it right; he didn't leave any traces. Not visible unless you notice them, I say to myself. Sure enough, I see a small contraption sitting around. Gale somehow managed to put a giant 12 on it, along with GH. As I walked further in, I notice more of Gale's snares and devices. I marvel at how he managed to create these in twenty minutes.

I stand in the middle of the room. A bow and sheath of arrows, obviously placed by Gale, is right at my feet. I pick it up, and adjust it. I turn carefully, and shoot a dummy. The arrow pierces it, coming clean out the other side. Nice shot. I can almost hear Gale's voice. Now, to get the judges to pay me attention.

I look around. My gaze lands on a LED light, its glare annoyingly bright. I set it as my target, and set an arrow into its notch. Pulling it pack, then letting it fly, it skewers the light in an explosion of sparks. This has got their attention. I wave sarcastically to them. I look at the floor. I see a small X on the ground. Sensing that this is what Gale meant as 'the rest will come to you', I take aim and let another arrow fly.

The effect is instantaneous. A delicate, yet simple wire contraption I have no name for pulls, and soon enough, a dummy with a spear in its 'hand' is soaring at me. I dodge it easily and put an arrow through where its heart should be. It jerks to a stop. I step forward, expecting something to pop out at me, but am greeted with nothing. It is so like Gale to keep my guard up. Curse his thoughtfulness. I side-step a snare set, and watch as a thing comes flying at me. I shoot it, but it doesn't disengage this time. I duck, and snatch a spear off the ground. I spy a cable, and throw the spear. I miss. It doesn't stop me from trying again. With this second attempt, the spear breaks the metal cord as easily as a knife would go through butter. Next, I am forced to tackle some other thing that Gale has managed to make attack me. Things keep flying at me, never ending their constant attack. How did he manage to get things to work this long? I don't know. It must be snares and…pulleys!

Scanning the places in which most of the attacks are coming from, I see things piled up. They look like simple things stacked to be put away. Next to these things, is a giant spool of wire, connected with multiple things around the room. With one central wire doing the job, many smaller wires were holding the objects. Everything was somehow connected, with the exception of the few snares he had set. Cut the central wire, and the entire thing should come down. Keyword: should.

I take a knife and slice that one wire, relaxing, thinking that I would be dismissed. No such luck. It triggered yet another system, one that came from my left. I got close to the system in charge of the newest attacks and examined it closely. Cutting one cord would set something off behind me (the wires were looped together). I checked the newest set yet, the third one, and found that it would trigger nothing. Just to be safe, I checked around before cutting the third wire. Nothing jumped at me. I slashed at the second one. I had all the Gamemakers' eyes on my back. I could feel their stares. I turned, taking care not to step on any snares set. Now facing the people who would ultimately ruin my life, I said confidently,

"Efforts of the tributes of District Twelve, Gale Hawthorne and Katniss Everdeen. Thank you for your time." That last part was full of sarcasm. Not like I had a choice. Spinning on my heel, I turn, shoot an arrow above the Gamemaker's balcony, and stride from the room.

I ride up the elevator alone. When the door opens, I see Gale sitting at the table, eating lunch. He is, thankfully, alone. When he sees me, he starts laughing. Pretending to be angry, I storm over to him.

"What the heck was that about?"

"Eh, trying to spice things up."

"Well, you defiantly did that. How'd you do it all in twenty minutes?"

"Most of it was stuff that was there; I simply moved a few things, and tweaked them to my advantage. I made the snares, set everything into place, and told them I was done."

He makes it sound as if it's the weather he's talking about. Like he does it every day. I don't bother asking him how he learned it. His father had probably taught him; well, at least the basics. He must have developed them the same way I developed shooting a bow and arrow. I sit down, tilt my head back, and yawn. If I had the time to be tired, I would be. A server brings me a plate of food and sets it before me. I thank him, and dig in.

It's not long before Haymitch walks in. He sits across from Gale and me, observing us. For a man who is almost always drunk, his eyes are alert and full of intellect.

"We have work to do." His voice is sounds casual. "Katniss. For the interviews, try to be feisty. The last the crowd has seen of you is that you're kissing a flaming boy. Be cunning and give answers that make the crowd want more." He turns to Gale. "You act the part of the charming boy who breaks the rules. Be a bad boy. You're fueling the flame. Give answers that lead to more questions. Don't give them a yes or a no. You both are mysterious and unknown. Keep it that way. I have people lining up already, just begging to sponsor you two. They want answers. They think they'll get that tonight. When they don't, they'll want something answered in the arena." He snaps his fingers at us. "Let's get going. We have a lot of work to do."

With a lot of practicing, Gale and I finally meet Haymitch's standards. I am the flaming girl with a fiery tongue. My answers more often puzzle than they do inform. I am superior. Gale is charmingly difficult, toying with the audience. The most Haymitch can get out of him is his name, and where he comes from. He tells Gale to open up to the audience a bit more, but still be the sinful boy he's acting. By the end of our session with Haymitch, Gale and I have been transformed. He ushers us out, and we're being pulled by Effie into my room.

"Ok, since you've mastered the interview question/answer session, time to show you how to present yourself," she trills. "Here Katniss, try these on." She hands me a pair of high heels. She must be kidding me; these things are eight inches high. I pull them on, and stand up. Effie tells me to walk forward, just back and forth. With my first step, I nearly twist my ankle. The second is a bit better. One by one, I take wobbly steps until I reach the wall. I turn back, and continue walking. Basically, I'm pacing. While I get used to the shoes and walking in them, Effie is showing Gale how to sit and hold his head and a bunch of other nonsense that has to do with what Haymitch was telling us. After a while, once I am able to walk almost regularly in the eight inch heels, Effie calls me and tells me to sit down. She tells Gale how to walk in front of the camera, and tells him to practice. Ridiculous. She focuses on me.

"When you're in sitting during the interviews, cross your legs like this," she says, crossing her legs elegantly. She continues: "Keep your arms at your side. Don't slouch. Keep your chin up." It was the same stuff that she was telling Gale to do. It was dull, but Effie assured me that every little thing made the difference. Eventually, Effie deems us camera-worthy and leaves. It's just Gale and me. Silence. Then, out of nowhere, we both start laughing. Endless, crazy laughter. We can't stop. This, I think, is what it means to be happy. I don't notice when Cinna comes in, Portia in his wake. Smiling at me, Cinna says:

"Unless you two plan on missing scores, you might want to get up." He waits for us to pull ourselves together, then closes the door behind us as we walk out of the room. We

I retreat to my room after the long day of preparation. I hear a knock on the door. "Yes?" I groan.

It's Effie. "Its time to watch the scores" she says bluntly.

"Okay." I jump off my bed and walk to Gales room. I knock impatiently.

"Are you coming in, or not?" he chuckles. I grin and walk into his room.

"It's time to go watch our training scores. Are you nervous?" I ask.

"No, I'm not really nervous. Let's go!" he grabs my arm and pulls me out of his room, down the hall, and into the TV room. In the TV room are two huge couches, and one large chair big enough for two people. Everyone is shepherding into the room; Flauvis, Venia, Octavia, Haymitch, Effie, and last but not least, Gale and I. I grip his hand, and intertwine my fingers with his. He looks at me and smiles. We walk over to the extremely large, leather chair in front of the TV. Everyone else crowds on the two couches. Everyone in the room starts talking, and suddenly the TV flashes on, meaning it is a mandatory event. We all stop talking the second the TV turns on, and all face the large screen. I don't pay attention to the introduction, and stare blankly into space.

Finally after eons of waiting, they introduce the tributes, and their training scores. Most of them are between five and nine. After showing the male tribute from District 11, I put all of my focus on the screen, and clench Gales hand as if my life depended on it. My face comes up, then a twelve flashes across the screen. _Twelve? Twelve! _I can't believe I got a twelve! Everyone in the room is cheering and jumping up and down with excitement. I am not showing any emotion right now, too anxious too see what Gale has gotten. His handsome face flashes across the screen now. Twelve! Another twelve! I was not surprised at all. The way he set up all those snares, and the fact he did it within fifteen minutes was beyond amazing. We are all smiling and shouting now, even Gale. He pulls me into a tight hug, and then he pulls away, looking straight into my eyes. Im looking into those beautiful gray eyes, and then he speaks. "I couldn't have done it without you." He smiles, and before I can say the same, he grabs my face, and presses his lips against mine. I wrap my arms around his neck, and we pull away.

"Gale…" I trail off. After a few minutes of staring into each others gray, Seam eyes, I am finally able to respond. "I couldn't have done that without you either." He smiles and we are congratulated by our prep team, our mentor, and our escort.

They tell us to celebrate by having an early dinner, taking it to the roof, and spending an evening up there. Haymitch tells us to look nice. We agree, thinking it would be nice. I am about ti head to my room, but I see Gale stay back to talk to Haymitch from my peripheral vision. I head to my room to get dressed into nicer clothes. I see Gale stop to talk to HaymitchI put on a yellow dress, yellow ballet flats, and my mockingjay pin. I braid my hair into its signature braid, and head out the door. I walk to the dining room to find no one there. I am about to walk up to the roof, when a familiar voice stops me. "Catnip. I wouldn't go up there. I was about to go up, but Haymitch stopped me." Gale warns. Gale is dressed up nice, with his hair slicked back, and a nice black suit.

"Haymitch is so weird." I chuckle. Gale smiles back.

The door to the roof swings open. "You two love birds coming?" we chuckle at his name for us, and walk through the door. Everyone pitched in for decorating the roof. It looked absolutely incredible! There was a garden in the corner with lights all around it, and a small table with lamb stew –my favorite- and two goblets with wine in it. We walked over to the table, and Gale pulled out my chair. I took a seat, and waited for Gale to sit across from me.

"You two have fun!" Effie half screeched, half shouted.

"You guys are so cute together!" Octavia cried. She burst into tears and ran downstairs, probably to her room. The others left the roof, and it was just Gale and me.

"Did you do this?" I asked, blushing.

"Yeah. I wanted to show you how much I really cared for you. Katniss, I want you to know that you mean _everything_ to me. You mean _the world _to me, Katniss. Without you, there is no point in living." I almost turn into Octavia, but I would retreat into Gale's arms instead of my room. But I don't do that. I am feeling a lump of tears in my throat. I am speechless. I smile, and open my mouth to talk, but nothing comes out. Tears push their way out of my eyes, and I run over to Gale, jump in his arms, and cry all those tears I was holding in. His arms go around me, protecting me from everything. I begin to sob harder, and his arms tighten around me.

"G-Gale! I-I lo-love you!" I said between sobs. I start to hiccup. We both laugh. I stand up, and head back over to my seat. We lean forward so the tip of our noses touch. We exchange a quick kiss, then Effie knocks on the roof door.

"You guys, wrap it up, we have to start to get ready for the interviews!" she screams.

"Okay, be down in a minute!" I yell. We hurry and eat our now-cold stew, and I get one last hug and kiss before retreating downstairs. I run to my room, and find Cinna waiting for me with a dress in a bag, on a hanger. My prep team waits in the bathroom. I take a quick three-minute shower, and hop out waiting for my prep team to turn me into The Girl on Fire. I have gold and orange eye-shadow resembling fire, red lipstick, and my blush is pink with a gold tint to it. I walk out of the bathroom with the towel around me, and then they tell me to close my eyes, and I do. It doesn't take them long to put the dress on me. It feels soft and the dress seems to fit perfectly. They slip high heel shoes, but they are not nearly as high as Effies shoes, at least half the size.

"You can open your eyes." Cinna whispers to me.

"You look absolutely _gorgeous!" _Octavia looks like she will cry any moment again, just like she did a half an hour ago. I slowly open my eyes. Octavia was right! I do look gorgeous. My hair is braided in its signature braid, but with a piece of red ribbon braided into it. And my dress. Oh, my dress. It is absolutely amazing. It is black and long. Very long. It touches the floor, and I have a little train behind me. There are streaks of fire designs painted along the top, and the fire grows larger as it travels down to the floor. My shoes have the same pattern on them.

I close my mouth when I realized my jaw has dropped. "I-Its amazing!" There is a knock on my door, and Cinna gets it. As I admire myself in the mirror, Cinna is talking with Haymitch, who was at the door. Haymitch leaves, and Cinna looks at me for a while, admiring me as I did.

"Its time to leave for the interviews. You look amazing." He says.

"Thanks to you, I do." I reply. He smiles, takes my hand and leads me out the door to the car.

I grab Gale's hand, as we make our appearance in the room for the interviews. We take our seats in the front row of the auditorium, in chronological order, from each district. I am feeling extremely nervous. My hands are sweating like crazy, and my stomach is having a butterfly party. Gale looks at me, with a scared look in his eye. I could tell he was nervous, too. "Here we go." I say nervously. The lights dim, and there is a small red light at the bottom of the camera, meaning we are on air.

"Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of Panem! Welcome to the 74th annual Hunger Games interviews, where tonight, right here and right now, at 6 o' clock, we will interview each and every tribute, in this wonderful event!" he pauses. "Now, to start our show, we will start with the amazing District 1!" I see a young girl, around 14, walk up to the stage. She was wearing a pretty green dress with a ruffled top and sparkles along the hem of the dress. Her three minutes went by pretty quickly. The other District 1 tribute was tall, and surprisingly skinny for the people in District 1. The next few went by really quick; I was deep in thought. Next thing you know, the girl from District 10 is going. Three more to go till I can retreat to my room. I begin to count down the minutes. Then, there are only seconds. Beep. Three minutes have passed. My turn.

"So, Girl on Fire, what exactly was going on through your head when you volunteered for your sister?" I don't know how to answer this question. All these thoughts, memories, and flashbacks all zoom through my head. "And?" he asks getting impatient.

"Well... all I can say is that she is my sister, and with the situation we were in, I felt like I was in charge of protecting her, like I was responsible for everything that she has done. I love her, and I will do whatever I can, to protect her." Is all I can think of. I hope I am doing okay so far, only one question answered, but I am scared for what else he is going to ask me.

"Yeah, I understand how that is. Now, on to another question. Where did you and Gale meet?"

I knew this was coming. I also knew that I can't share the fact that we were hunting, and we were hunting in a restricted area as well. I had to think of a real-sounding story, and I had to think of one fast. I hope the one I tell sounds believable enough. "It all started about four years ago when both of our fathers had… um, gone, during a mining accident. Of course we had seen each other in school, but him being two years older than me, we didn't talk much. But that day was the first time we had really interacted. We had said hello to each other every time we both met our gaze, and nothing really happened between us until we had to do a project in school, while we were talking about the mining accidents. All of the kids in their 9th year of school to their 11th year of school were assigned a partner, and a research paper. They made us be together since our fathers had both died. And now, here we are!" I was relieved to get that story over with. I glance over to Gale sitting in the audience, and I can see relief in his eyes.

"Awe! That is so cute! Two teenagers, assigned a project, and simply fall in love. Don't you just love a good romance!" the crowd hoots and hollers. He continues with his next question, "So, even though you can never be together, while fighting to the death on live TV, if the Games never happened, what would be your future plans? Do you have any? Gat married, have kids?" asks Ceasar.

I glance over to Gale, and he shrugs. What a big help. "That is a good question. I am not sure about that one. Um, eventually I probably would get married, but I'm not sure about having kids. I never really wanted them, but I love them dearly, just never really thought of having any. I didn't want to put any in danger." Is all I said. It was true. I know that Gale and I could never end up together since Effie first called out 'Gale Hawthorne!'

"You two would have been absolutely perfect together!" I smile at the remark."And what about that 12? Were you shocked?"

"Yes. I was shocked, but at the same time I wasn't. I was sure, on what I did, that it would send a spark to the Gamemakers"

_Beep! _"Oh! How time flies! Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is Katniss Everdeen! The Girl on Fire, from District 12!" My time is up. Full of relief, I walk off stage, and smile at Gale as he makes his way to the big comfortable chair. He is so good with the cameras, and he always knows exactly what to say.

"This is the world-famous Gale Hawthorne! I just have one question that has been bugging me for a longtime, and I am sure many others, too." He pauses, and I glance at Gale to see that the expression on his face is slightly worried, and a little confused. Then as Ceasar says the question, his face relaxes and he smiles. I love his smile. "Just where do you get your hair done? It is always so shiny, and smooth, and absolutely splendid!" the crowd laughs as he asks this question.

"Actually, my mom does it." He chuckles, and moves his fingers through his thick, black hair.

"Wow, it definitely is a bonus to your handsomeness." The crowd roars in agreement. "Can I touch it?"

"Sure!" he leans forward to able Ceasar to "pet" his hair.

"Wow! Wow! This dude has some seriously amazing hair! It feels like the sweatshirt my grandma knits me for my birthday every year!" he looks directly into the camera, "Hey grandma? You listening? I want hair like this instead! Its absolutely incredible!" the crowd was laughing hysterically. I find myself laughing. And Haymitch, and Effie, and- President Snow? Wow. I would never expect that. Gale does so good with the cameras.

"Thank you, thank you. But I could never look as good as you, Ceasar." Gale answers, and the crowd roars even more wildly.

"Thank you! But in this case, you are the star of the show, not me. So, on with the next question. When did you first realize that you were in love with Katniss?" he looks clueless on how to answer this question.

"Well, let me think about this," is all he says. He only have 2 minutes and 4 seconds left. "I was probably about 15, so around 3 years ago."

"And you guys met when you were 14? So it took you 1 year to realize that Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire, was the right pick for you?" he nods and lets him continue. "The new star-crossed lovers from District 12, are forced to fight to the death, how tragic!" the crowd laughs at the comment. "I asked Katniss the same question, but how about that big number twelve! Were you at all surprised?"

"Actually, to tell you the truth, I was surprised! They didn't seem very interested in my, um, project."

"Ha ha! Yes! If I were allowed to ask what on earth you did in there, I would! Now. I know this seems like a silly question, but if you had one wish, what would it be?"

"Um, it would probably be for me and Catni- um, Katniss to be safe together."

"Awe, young love. Ahh, the good ol' days! Well, that's it for tonight folks! Thank you!" There was a small beep, signaling that the cameras were turned off. Gale walked over to me, and I gave him a quick kiss, and our hands intertwined with the others. We walked all the way over to my room, and we said goodnight. I slumped into my room, slid off my dress, and hopped in the shower, scrubbing all the layers of make-up I had on. When I was done, I slipped on fleece pajama pants and a light shirt, and jumped on my bed. It took me a minute, but I finally fell into a deep sleep. I had a night mare.

_I was running with Gale and Prim. There was a giant black snake spitting blood at us. It ate Prim while we were running, and then me. I was going down a long black tunnel, and I heard Prims child-like screams from up ahead. I started screaming with her, and we landed in a bed of roses. Next thing you know I am in a black forest. Prim is gone, and its just me, Gale, and Snow. President Snow is sitting in a big, red, comfortable chair. He is staring at us, and suddenly he speaks in a low grumbly voice, "You will never be happy. I will make your lives as miserable as I can." He turns into a black snake, and eats us, very slowly so we will suffer the pain. I am watching as Gale is being torn to pieces by the ugly snake. I can't bare to watch, so I close my eyes and start screaming. I am being eaten by Snow, in his long tail, and then I hear Gale calling my name. "Katniss. Katniss! Katniss! Wake up!"_

I jump up as I start to gain consciousness. "Wha-what happened?" I ask, afraid of the answer.

"I-I don't know. You must have had a nightmare. But it's alright. I'm here now." He climbs in bed with me, and I let him, knowing that it might be one of the last moments we will have together before either of us has a chance of being murdered. He puts his arm around me and comforts me. I give him a quick kiss, thanking him. We sit there in silence for a while, and then I fall into a peaceful sleep.

**END OF CHAPTER 6**


	7. Chapter 7

**HELLO! BONJOUR! Hello in whatever language you speak! Here is a warning, and I am sorry about this: We -the two authors- are having problems posting because of school and other components. Also, this story is being written more for our mental health than anything. So when we 1) don't post often and 2) this story gets REALLY awkward, thats because we are not on the verge of a Hunger Games mental-breakdown and well, its what we want to happen. TADA: STORY**

I woke up to a loud Effie walking in our room screaming, "Today is going to be a big, big, big da- oh! Oh my! You guys get the memo. I was just leaving!" When she sees us in the same bed together her eyes widen in shock and she prances out the door. When we see the expression on her face, we both burst into hysterical laughter. Gale is the first one to stop laughing and catch his breath. I then calm down and look at Gale in his beautiful, clear gray eyes.

My smile turns into a frown, and when he sees me sad he immediately does the same, and sincerely asks, "Catnip? What's wrong?" But then he realizes. I say it any way.

"Today is the day. The day everyone has been waiting for. The day they might get to see the star-crossed lovers get torn apart, for their entertainment. The day that we g-" I am cut off.

"All right! Enough. I get it. You can't survive without me, and there is no chance of us ever being together ever, blah blah blah!" He says this with a smirk on his face and a small chuckle, so I know he is teasing. He gives me a kiss and I kiss him back. We go into the dining room for breakfast then I go back into my room and take a shower. In the midst of my shower, there is a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I yell.

"Katniss. It's me, Cinna. I will leave your clothes on your bed. When you are done, then come and meet me on the roof."

"Thanks Cinna!" I almost yell. I quickly wrap up my shower, walk into the bedroom, slip on my clothes, rebraid my hair, and head out the door. I am about to pass Gale's room when I stop.

I don't bother to knock and just barge in. When he sees it's me, he wraps his comforting arms around me. I do the same, and we have about a minute to ourselves before I remember I have to go. I kiss him for a long time; I wrap my arms around his neck, and he wraps his arms around my waist. We finally pull away, and I look at him in the eyes. "I love you so much. Always remember that." My vision is blurry from he tears forming in my eyes. For the first time ever, I see tears forming in Gale's beautiful Seam eyes.

"The same goes for you." He smiles. I grin back at him. But I am surprised. The same goes for you? That's all he says? I just expressed my undying love for him, and he doesn't even do anything that is really affectionate. He couldn't say 'I love you' back? I know he is under a lot of stress right now, so I let it go. This is so unlike me to forgive someone so easily. I guess it's just the fact that I could loose him within an hour, and that he is under a lot of stress.

After a moment in each other's arms, I pull away remembering what Cinna had said. "I'm supposed to meet Cinna on the roof now. I guess I'll see you soon then."

"Yeah. See you soon. Um, Katniss?"

"Yeah?" I turn my head to face him.

"If we cant find each other, head north, alright?" I nod. He leans in for a kiss. It's a short but sweet one. I slip out of the door, and head up to the roof.

Cinna is waiting for me at the top of the stairs. When I reach the top, he grabs my arm gently and pulls me toward the arriving hovercraft. A ladder descends from the floating ship, and I grab one of the handles and suddenly I'm frozen. The strange ladder lifts me up into the hovercraft. They sit me down and stick a long syringe in my arm, placing the tracker in my forearm. It only hurts a little, but afterwards my arm feels a little sore.

I shift in my seat uncomfortably; the female tribute from District 7 is giving me a death stare. I turn me head to face the other direction and find myself looking at Gale. He gives me a reassuring smile, and I give one in return. He mouths, "Remember to head north." and I nod. I look out the window, and you can see the districts. Then it turns black indicating that we are arriving in the arena. We are lead, by two peacekeepers each, to our separate rooms with our stylists for a moment with them before the Games. The moment I catch a glimpse of Cinna, I run into his arms. Then he puts his arms on my shoulders forcing me to look at him. He stares at my eyes.

"Katniss. I'm not allowed to bet, but if I could, it would be on you." I smile at this compliment.

"Thank you. It means a lot. You really have no idea how much that means to me." I reply, smiling. He gives me a smile in return and then helps me put my jacket on. We hear a small beep.

"You have thirty seconds," A recorded voice says.

"Good luck, Girl on Fire. You will do great out there," Says Cinna. "I'm so sorry this has to be happening to you."

"Thanks. I'll miss you in there." I say sincerely.

"Ten seconds left." Says the lady's voice again.

"Good luck." he repeats. Those were our final words. I stepped onto the metal plate, and suddenly I begin to rise. At first it is really bright and I can't see anything. Then I blink a couple of times and the whole scene comes into focus. I catch a quick glimpse of Gale, who is mouthing 'north'. I nod, finally remembering. I finally snap back into focus when I hear the ten seconds tick away, that could end my life.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

And then the gong goes off.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END of this chapter anyway. I hope you liked it! But I myself (one of the two authors) did not really care for this chapter. It was short, i know. But I thought it might be a good place to end it. I had to get it out of the way. Thanks for hanging on this long. I know its been hard, cause we only update every month (at the least) :l <strong>

**Thanks again :)**


	8. Hiatus

**A/N-**

**I would like to apologize with the most utter geniality. Things have not been the easiest, and finding the time and ideas to continue this story have been excruciatingly difficult. As many of you know, high school is not an easy drive, but we will try most earnestly to make it a smooth ride. As soon as I can find the time to write anything more than this hiatus letter, I will be sure to let you know. Again, I would like to apologize to all of you amazingly dedicated followers, that I can not be there currently to write the rest of this story. I would also like to thank you for your continued support, and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, do not hesitate to pm me or leave a comment. I'm terribly sorry that I have to do this, but from now until otherwise noted, this story is officially on hiatus. **


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